Improvement in photographic screens



A. M. BIRD.

Photographic Screens. N0,Hl.7,594 Patented Feb.17.187 4.

fnv@ 7030 r.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AnnRnw n'. nrRn, or sYRAcUsn, New YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHIC SCREENS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,594, dated February 17, 1874; application filed February 9, 1874.

To Il 107mm yit may concern.:

Be. it known that I, ANDREW M. BIRD, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State ot' New York, have invented certain Improvements in Photographic Screens, of which the following is a specification:

illy invention consists in a translucent photographic screen attached to an arm, so couneeted with a standard that the screen may have a universal movement under the control oi the operator, so that the said screen may be easily placed in any desired angle with reference to the seat or position occupied by the sitten in order to intercept or deiiectQ the rays ot' light, thereby softening the light or retlecting it to such portions of the sitter as may be desired to reduce the shadows.

Figure l is a side elevation of my invention; Fi 2, a top view ot' the screen detached. Figs. I, 4, and 5 are modiiicatiens in the method of adjustment.

In the drawing, a represents a standard with a base or foot, b. An arm, d, having at one end a block, Z, with screen-holding arms 7c, is connected by hinge or joint c with a movable piece, c, pivoted to the standard by a pin, el. A cord, 7L, attached to arm d passes through a hole, fi, near the top of the standard, and has attached to 'it a weight, j. A piece, f, preferably of fine white cambric, is secured to arms k.

'lhc operator places the screen at any suitable position between the camera and the sitter, and he then raises or lowers the arm d, or moves it sidewise or in the arc of a circle about the pin el. To accomplish this last-mentioned n'iovement, the operator has only to take hold ci the handle c2. rlhe weight j acts as a counter-poise for the arm d, and retains it wherever the operator places it. It will be seen that the arm carrying the screen has practically a universal movement about the side ot the standard, and it may be adjusted high or low, so as to place the i'ace of the screen at any angle with reference to the sitter, and in the path of any strong light, or to reflect it as the operator may desire.

Fig. l shows one way ol` carrying out my invention; but it is obvious that the screensupporting arm d may be connected to the standard by other means, so that the arm may have vertical and lateral movements in the arc of a circle, or a universal movement, without departing from my invention 5 and I d'o not desire to limit myself to any particular connection betweeen such arm and standard, only so far that the connection shall alloT of the movements speciiied.

Fig. 3 shows a front and side View of a modified arm and standard-connecting device; m is a sector-like piece of metal pivoted at a, and provided with a slot, o, through which passes a pin or screw to hold the piece m in position. Rising from m are standards q, between which a curved piece, f, may move about pin p', and also in the opposite direction on the pivot u as a center. A washer in this instance takes the placeot' the cord and weight, shown in Fig. l, and the screen-supporting arm is tted to the socket i'. In Fig. et, a socketed ball-like piece, s, receives the a-rm d., but the arm instead may have a ball turned on it, as shown at Fig. 5. rlhis ball is fitted between the sphericallyconcaved -jaws t t. These' jaws have ears 1v, through which, and a curved piece, o, and the top ot' the standard, passes a screw, which pivots the jaws to the standard. The curved piece c passes into a slot in the top of the standard, and when the jaws are turned on f the pivot w the screw 00 may be used to keep them in position. The ball-like end may be split or cut out, as shown by the dotted lines in the sectioned Fig. LI, and in this way the pressure of the compressed ball within the sides of the jaws will retain ,the jaws and arm d, which is to carry the screen in any angular position to which it may be adjusted.

Fig. 5 shows a section ot' a further modiication. One portion, y', or a jaw has a rod extending from it through the standard, where it is conlincd by a thumb-nut, z. The second portion y ot' thisj aw is secured to y by a screw, l, and between the jaws is placed the rounded end ot' the sereen-supportin g arm d. Between the thumb-nut e' and thestandard may be placed a wed ge-piece, a', with one face inclined, and this may be moved between the face ot' the nut and the standard, so as to quickly tighten or loosen the rod and allow it to be turned in the standard. For the screen I prefer tine white cambric, but any other thin translucent fabric or material may be elnployed, and it may be square or round.

The

gested movement ot' the screen about the end ot' the arm would, in a measure, take the plaee of the movement of the arm about the pin or serevv entering' the standard.

l am aware that a sereen has been used on a rigid horizontallyproj eeting arm.

Having described my invention, I claim- A translucent photographie screen combined with its standard, and connected and adapted. to permit the screen t0 rise and fall iu the are ot' av eirele, and to move in curved lines substantially at right angles with sueh movement, substantially described.

AXDREW )L BIRD.

Witnesses:

I. lV. NEAR, W. L. SU'r'roX. 

